Interlocking handles for a fire extinguisher



I. J. B'ILLIN GS 3,356,149

I INTERLOCKING HANDLES FOR A FIRE EXTiNGUISHER 7 Dec. 5, 1967 Filed Dec. 23, 1965 INVENTOR. lings ATTORNEY.

Ira (1.51!

United States Patent 3,356,149 INTERLOCKING HANDLES FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER Ira J. Billings, Woodland Hills, Califi, assiguor to Automatic Sprinkler Corporation of America, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 515,886 Claims. (Cl. 169-30) This invention relates to portable fire extinguishers of the pressurized type and more particularly to an improved arrangement of the carrying and valve actuating handles of the portable fire extinguisher.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of interlocking carrying and valve actuating handles for a portable fire extinguisher that permits the extinguisher to be readily carried while the valve actuating handle is in either open or closed position and which will prevent the valve actuating handle from being moved to open position when the carrying handle is in nonsupporting position.

A further object of the invention is the provision ofi interlocking carrying and valve actuating handles for a portable fire extinguisher incorporating a simple inexpensive handle construction insuring the unlatching of the valve actuating handle whenever the carrying handle is used to support the fireextinguisher.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of interlocking carrying and valve actuating handles for a portable fire extinguisher which are convenient to hold and grasp and so arranged that their normal positioning when the fire extinguisher is carried thereby permits the valve actuating handle to be used to open the pressurized fire extinguisher valve so as to discharge the fire extinguishing contents of the extinguisher.

The interlocking carrying and valve actuating handles for a portable fire extinguisher as disclosed herein comprise an improvement in the art relating to such devices as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. Heretofore portable fire extinguishers of the pressurized type have incorporated a carying handle and a valve actuating handle and normally provided removable means for securing the valve actuating handle in valve closing position so that the same could not accidently be moved to valve opening position. Such devices as heretofore constructed have therefore required that the valve securing means be manually removed before the valve actuating handle could be moved to valve open position.

The present invention discloses a pair of handles pivoted to a portable fire extinguisher of the pressurized type and arranged so that in a normal storage position the carrying handle moves to a position where a portion thereof locks the valve actuating handle in valve closed position. Thus the extinguisher will not accidentally be triggered and the pressurized contents be released therefrom. On the other hand, when the portable fire extinguisher is picked up by the carrying handle as when being taken to a fire, the portion of the carrying handle thereof normally engaging and locking the valve actuating handle moves to an unlocked position so that the fire extinguisher contents may be discharged by merely depressing the valve actuating handle.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the neck portion of a portable fire extinguisher showing the interlocking carrying and valve actuating handles in position supporting the extinguisher and permitting the movement of the valve actuating handle.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation similar to FIGURE 1 showing the carrying handle in no-supporting position and the valve actuating handle in locked position.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the device shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross section on line 44 of FIG- URE 2.

By referring to the drawings and. FIGURE 1 in particular it will be seen that the neck portion 10 of a portable fire extinguisher of the pressurized type has been disclosed and it will occur to those skilled in the art that the body portion containing the pressure agent and the fire extinguishing material is located below the neck portion 19 and that the neck portion is so arranged that the fire extinguishing material is discharged through an orifice 11 which is usually connected with a discharge horn or the like. The neck portion 10 includes a valve controlling the passageway therethrough and a valve operating plunger 12 extends upwardly out of the upper end of the neck por-' tion 10 of the fire extinguisher and into a position where it may be engaged and moved by a valve actuating handle 13. The valve actuating handle 13 has a centrally disposed depressed area 13A as best seen in the top plan sectional view comprising FIGURE 3 so that its inner surface forms a suitable bearing in relation to the uppermost end of the valve actuating plunger 12. The valve actuating handle 13 includes longitudinally extending depending side portions 14 and 15. Oppositely disposed openings in the foremost end of the valve actuating handle 13 are engaged upon a transversely positioned pivot pin 16 which is carried by the upper end of the neck portion 10 of the portable fire extinguisher. The valve actuating handle 13 thus pivots on the pivot pin 16 while moved vertically. L-shaped slots 17 are formed in oppositely disposed re lation in the depending side portions 14 and 15 of the handle 13, the uppermost portion of each of the L-shaped slots 15 being substantially wider than the lower portion. The L-shaped slots 17 are adapted to receive outturned lugs 18 formed adjacent one end of a carrying handle 19 which in turn is pivoted to the neck 11 of the portable fire extinguisher 'by a secondary pivot pin 20. The carrying handle 19 includes a pair of upturned longitudinally extending flanges 21 and 22 and the outturned lugs 18 are oppositely disposed sideward extensions thereof.

By referring to FIGURES 2 and 4 of the drawings the outturned lugs 18 will be seen to be positioned in the narrower generally horizontal portion of the L-shaped slots 17 and in which position they are effective in preventing the valve actuating handle 13 from moving downwardly as necessary to engage the plunger 12 and open the valve of the portable fire extinguisher. In this position the carrying handle 19 is in non-supporting relation and its Weight automatically moves it to the position seen in FIGURES 2 and 4 of the drawings. At such time as the portable fire extinguisher is picked up by the carrying handle 19 it moves upwardly to the position seen in FIG- URE 1 of the drawings whereupon the uppermost end thereof as seen in broken lines in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings moves into engagement with the first mentioned pivot pin 16. The carrying handle 19 is thus firmly positioned on the neck of the portable fire extinguisher and the fire extinguished may be conveniently and easily carried thereby.

At the same time the outtured lugs 18 move into the lower portion of the widened generally vertically extending portion of the L-shaped slots 17 and thus permit the valve actuating handle 13 to be moved downwardly in a valve opening action whenever such action is desired.

It will thus be seen that improved interlocking carrying and valve actuating handles for a portable fire extinguisher have been disclosed which eliminate the necessity of separate means for locking the valve actuating handle in an inoperative position and therefore eliminate the need of removing such locking means as has heretofore been common in the art.

It will also be seen that the construction is relatively simple, easy to assemble and positive in operation and that when the valve carrying handle is in non-supporting position the outturned lugs 18 thereof positively and ef fectively hold the valve actuating handle in inoperative position which is also desirable as it prevents accidental discharge of the pressurized contents of the portable fire extinguisher.

It will thus be seen that the interlocking carrying and valve actuating handles for a portable fire extinguisher disclosed herein meet the several objects of the invention, and having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Interlocking cariying and valve actuating handles for a portable fire extinguisher having a valve actuating plunger and a transverse pivot pin, said valve actuating handle having spaced portions pivotally engaged on said pivot pin and a section normally spaced with respect to said valve operating plunger and engageable therewith so as to move the same, said valve actuating handle having spaced oppositely disposed openings of an L-shaped configuration, said carrying handle pivoted to said fire extinguisher in spaced relation to said pivot pin so that an end portion of said carrying handle will engage said pivot pin when moved in one direction, oppositely disposed spaced outturned lugs on said carrying handle engaged in said L-shaped openings.

2. In a portable fire extinguisher having a valve and a valve operating mechanism; a first handle pivotally afiixed to said extinguisher and arranged to operate said valve operating mechanism when moved, a second handle pivotally afiixed to said extinguisher and means on said second handle engaging shaped openings in said first handle, said shaped openings having areas in which said means is movable in one direction only, and other areas in which said means is movable only in a direction at right angles to said first direction.

3. The improvement in a portable fire extinguisher set forth in claim 2 and wherein said means on said second handle comprises sidewardly extending lugs.

4. The improvement in a portable fire extinguisher set forth in claim 2 and wherein said second handle is positioned beneath said first handle and is movable toward and away from said first handle.

5. The improvement in a portable fire extinguisher set forth in claim 2 and wherein said shaped openings are L- shaped and the vertical portions of said L-shaped openings are wider than their horizontal portions, and wherein said means engaging said shaped openings comprises lugs each of which is wider than its height.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,736,919 3/ 1956 Nurkiewicz 169-31 X 2,796,135 6/ 1957 Nurkiewicz 169-31 2,864,451 12/1958 Huthsing 16931 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,409,017 7/ 1965 France.

597,529 1/1948 Great Britain.

609,326 9/ 1948 Great Britain.

811,649 4/ 1959 Great Britain.

278,412 2/ 1952 Switzerland.

M. HENSON WOOD, 1a., Primary Examiner.

VAN C. WILKS, Assistant Examiner. 

2. IN A PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER HAVING A VALVE AND A VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM; A FIRST HANDLE PIVOTALLY AFFIXED TO SAID EXTINGUISHER AND ARRANGED TO OPERATE SAID VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM WHEN MOVED, A SECOND HANDLE PIVOTALLY AFFIXED TO SAID EXTINGUISHER AND MEANS ON SAID SECOND HANDLE ENGAGING SHAPED OPENINGS IN SAID FIRST HANDLE, SAID SHAPED OPENINGS HAVING AREAS IN WHICH SAID MEANS IS MOVABLE IN ONE DIRECTION ONLY, AND OTHER AREAS IN WHICH SAID MEANS IS MOVABLE ONLY IN A DIRECTION AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID FIRST DIRECTION. 